Controversy surrounds the Alameda County District Attorney's recent motion to dismiss a manslaughter case against a former San Leandro police officer, Jason Fletcher, who fatally shot Steven Taylor at a Walmart in 2020. As reported by KTVU, DA Ursula Jones Dickson is facing backlash from Taylor's family and activists who are dissatisfied with the potential decision to drop the charges.
During a demonstration outside the Alameda County courthouse, Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project described the move as egregious, vile, vicious, and disgusting. Additionally, Taylor's grandmother, Addie Kitchen, is determined to ensure the case goes to trial, emphasizing in an interview with KTVU, "We're here today to say DA Dickson, we're not just going to lay down and be quiet. We are going to continue to fight you." District Attorney Jones Dickson, however, has stated that she cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Fletcher committed a crime, referencing the opinion of two experts consulted by the office of former DA Pamela Price, who believed that Fletcher acted in self-defense.
According to the KTVU article, the original case was filed by former DA Nancy O'Malley, who accused Fletcher of failing to de-escalate the situation, leading to Taylor's death, merely 40 seconds after arriving on the scene. Civil rights attorney Adante Pointer criticized Jones Dickson for her choice to deemphasize victims of violence, citing an unmet pledge to the community.
The motion to dismiss highlighted evidence supporting Fletcher’s self-defense claim, as stated in the SF Chronicle. In the report, Jones Dickson's office elaborated that Taylor confronted Fletcher and refused to comply with his commands, which were followed by an ineffectual use of a Taser and indications from Taylor that he intended to force the officer to shoot him. Mike Rains, the attorney for Fletcher, called Taylor's death a tragedy but stood by the motion, asserting, "This was clearly a case of self-defense."
As legal proceedings unfold, Taylor's family remains committed to seeking justice, aiming to fill the courtroom come Friday when Judge Clifford Blakely reviews the DA's dismissal request.
